Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Effort to recall D.C. Mayor Gray set to begin
Ward 6 resident Frederick Butler says he is ready to hit the pavement once D.C. voters get the green light next week to start the recall process against Mayor Vincent C. Gray and other city politicians finishing a tumultuous year. Published December 27, 2011
D.C. Council’s Evans sets date for iGaming hearing
A key D.C. Council member has asked the city's inspector general to testify at a hearing next month on the city's first-in-the-nation efforts to offer online gambling through its lottery system. Published December 26, 2011
D.C. to tap growers of medical marijuana
The District of Columbia's health department is expected within the next few days to give its first indication of who qualifies to grow medical marijuana in the nation's capital, a significant step in a program aimed at comforting the sick and dying that is more than a dozen years in the making. Published December 26, 2011
D.C. Lottery report says majority supports iGaming
A majority of people spoke in favor of online gambling in the District at a series of community meetings designed to inform the public about the first-in-the-nation program, according to a D.C. Lottery report released Thursday. Published December 22, 2011
Poor job rating a bit ‘mysterious’ to Gray
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says he is undeterred by a new poll that gives him a poor approval rating and indicates he would lose theoretical matchups against either of the two mayors who came before him. Published December 22, 2011
Law aims to put more D.C. residents in jobs
Mayor Vincent C. Gray signed a bill on Wednesday intended to ensure that city residents are hired to work on D.C.-funded projects as part of an "increasingly large arsenal" in the city's fight against high unemployment. Published December 21, 2011
Gray to sign D.C. ethics reform bill
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said Wednesday he is set to sign the comprehensive ethics bill approved by the council as an effort to close legal loopholes and set a new tone at city hall. Published December 21, 2011
D.C. Council passes ethics reform bill
The D.C. Council passed a sweeping ethics-reform bill Tuesday, an attempt to restore faith in city hall after a series of problems that ranged from shaky hiring practices to deeds by elected officials that have lead to criminal probes. Published December 20, 2011
Low enrollment forces River Terrace closing
The D.C. public schools system is implementing a plan to close a Northeast elementary school with the lowest enrollment in the District and move its students to another school about a half-mile away. Published December 18, 2011
Gray asks feds for $1.6M to cover Occupy D.C. expenses
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray sent a letter to the National Park Service on Friday demanding "full and complete reimbursement" of the $1.6 million incurred by hosting protest camps on federal land at Freedom Plaza and McPherson Square. Published December 16, 2011
D.C. Council candidate accused of soliciting a prostitute
Kevin B. Chavous, a key challenger for the Ward 7 D.C. Council seat in next year's elections, was arrested early Friday on accusations he offered money to an undercover officer "for sexual favors," the Metropolitan Police Department said. Published December 16, 2011
Gray to ask U.S. for cash to help cover Occupy costs
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says he will ask the federal government to reimburse the District for police costs associated with the Occupy movement. Published December 15, 2011
Barry: New tax lien a result of poor communication
D.C. Council member Marion Barry says poor communication between "my representatives and the different IRS divisions" is to blame for a tax lien the federal government recently filed against one of his properties, adding to his well documented tax woes. Published December 15, 2011
Gray prepared to act quickly when snow falls
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray pledged to make "swift, well-informed decisions" when snowstorms hit the District this winter, leveraging new trucks, early notification systems and asking city employees to "shelter in place" to avoid the traffic nightmares that followed a massive storm in January. Published December 14, 2011
Tattoo regulation welcome, artists say
Tattoo artists told a D.C. Council committee Wednesday they support legislation to regulate their industry for the first time as long as the associated fees and rules do not overburden them. Published December 14, 2011
D.C. Council members push boundaries for campaign cash
Maryland and Virginia towns inside the Capital Beltway are suddenly part of "DC," subsidiary companies and their owners are each donating to campaigns despite tough talk on "bundling," and a pair of D.C. Council incumbents did not disclose who employs any of their financial backers, according to the latest reports filed with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance. Published December 13, 2011
D.C. jobs program enters ‘major expansion’ in reaching out
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says his signature jobs program is entering a new phase that will focus on job seekers who have not taken advantage of city services that link their skills with suitable employers. Published December 12, 2011
Wells pressing three proposals for D.C. ethics bill
D.C. Council member Tommy Wells is pushing three proposals to "reduce the influence of pay-to-play" before his colleagues put their final stamp on ethics legislation meant to stem the trickle of scandal out of city hall. Published December 12, 2011
D.C. man convicted in honor-student’s killing
A 20-year-old District man has been convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting death of a 17-year-old honor roll student who was walking back to his Northeast home with a friend last year after a brief jaunt for cigarettes, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Published December 9, 2011
Donald returns to D.C. child-family post
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray has picked a former director of the city's Child and Family Services Agency to again run the department, which is responsible for the welfare of children in the District. Published December 8, 2011
